Four-wheel drive for trucks.



Patented Demll, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l'.

1.1. MIUDLEBROOK.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FUR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION min Aus.2|. 19:6.

J. I. MIDDLEBROOK.. roue-WHEEL omvf ron HucKs.

` Y APPLICATION mio Auc.2|. me. Y 1,249,449. Patented Dec. 11.1917.

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Y Nw designed'for the up :mil down movement which has a king pin 48 received in a socket se which is" required h v the sections I mul 6. 'meml'ier 49thcse parts pivotally mounting v he jointing of the sections uml (i to the the entire front axle, transverse and longisection@ adapts the wheels to any. churtudiiial springs and other parts referred to. 5 noter of pavement o1' road or ground unl The axle sections 3T, 3S, are adapted to indeif en obstacle isencounti-rvrl by one win-rl, pendentlyrise and fnll, according to condi- 70 it rides thereovelxwthout tiltingmlisturbtionsel 1'eountered by the front wheels 43, inr the "generallerel'conclitimruf theftrnk. a'swith therear wheels. The center axle j e wheels 15 are carried. by shafts 16 section -36' is pivotally .supported on the. 1o which. are provided with crown knuckle chassis at 51 inline with the pivot connecy gears 17 of the foi-ln shown in Fig. 2.I tion4 48, 49. The. shaft 52 on which the 75 he section-4 carries acountershaft 1'8 on. clutches. 46 are slidablysplined, carries a. which 'the' crown I mu'clile gears 19 are bevel gear 53 which'meshes with a bevel loosely mounted, s'a'id gears meshing with gear 54mmled by a short shaft 55 which is '1 5 the gear-S17.4 erownknuckle -gears 19 ."Journaled in the ,lower portion of the steereaeh. have rcversclyiarranged setsy of clutch lng head or fifth-wheel 47 and also in a. 80 faces 20and 21 .(Fig. 3). cross-piece on the axle 36, and said shaft also i splined .onthe shaft 18 are carries another bevel gear 56 which is clutches 2 2 which are urged toward the crown drivenby a 'bevel gear 57 carried b ya shaft 20 clutch gears. 19 by springs 23 to prevent 'ae- 58, in turn driven by the engine, as will presci'dentel disconnection by jolts or jars.- The cntly appear; A 35 clutches 22 have clutch teeth -or faces='24' The fifth-wheel' 47 has a'i'aek 59 which is- (Fig. 4)-'adapted to en :ige4 corresponding in-mesh with a. pinion 60 carried by a steerclutch teeth 2 0.y .Carrie by the clutches 22 mg stem 61- havmgasuitable hand-wheel 62 25 and located in 'a concavity in the face thereQ- :by the-turning o which the entire front of are pivoted pawls or dogs 25 (Fi 2 and axle 36, 37, 38, with the sprn' 39 and 4Q 9'0 lines at and other part including the"s iafts -for the 25l adapted to engage-the clutch teeth or fron't wheels, are turned for'pur oses faces 21 on gear'f 19, said teeth 21 .being steering.' Regardless of the -ang er si' 310 formed independently of, and arranged contion of the' ront axle, the respective nt f eentrically to, teeth 20 and pointinv oppo.- wheels can rise'and fall and are independ- 95 i sitelythereto.' Stem's 26 slidable in llolesin ently cushioned by the springs. the pawls. 25, are.. =pressed by coil springs 27 As with the'rearwheels, so with the l-frtmt and haveserew threaded-parts carrying adwheels, both -mayfb'e driven, or eitlierdriven, st ijnstable-thumbnnts 28. 'The tension o f 'thcfrom the shaft" 58', .or both may be disconsprings'27' and play of the pawls or`dogs' nected from operativey connection thereto. 100 c maya thus be limited' .to any desired extent For shifting. the 'clutches 46, there are F1g."2 The clutch facesand the s rin provided clutch thrower's'63 pivoted interl "actuate jdogs or'pawls provide a dbnbe mediate 4their ends and theirupper i lo'ck'or clutching' action which holds the ends received'in slotted yokes 64 whiehgre membersfli) and 22 together, whether the carried by levers 65 and 66,respectively, 105 trlck is advancing'o'r going backward. Ithe .latterbeing suitably mounted 'for in` The respective clutches 22 are mdcpe'nd-- stance, on the "rock shafts 3 1.' -Being enen tly controlled'h)r shifting yokes 29 having gaged with -tlie yokes 64 atall times, the '45 connections'-30 to independent shafts 31e'x-l -clutehcs 46can be thrown into'cr out of o ,tending in s'n'itablebenrings to points-nd'ii-- eration, regardless oltlie'angulnr disp0s1f110 cent the operators'seat. and provided with tion of the front axle nt the time and each levers 32and 3B-respectively, by which de.- clutch is adapted -ior' operation independvices both 'rear wheels may be driven, -or' 4'ont ofthe other clutch. l 5.o either Aof-:then'r driven, or both of thcln' he- Aengine 3- directly drii'esshat 67 ythrovfn-ont entirely; i through gears 68. Loose onl'shaft' 67 is a 115 The shaft 18 isdriven through bevel 4gears bevel gear-69 which meshes "ithA-a gear 70 34 by'afshnft 35operate' from the engme, on coiintershaft 'ose on shift: 67 ist. as will appear hereinafter. spur gear 71 which-meshes through anidler Tieeonstrction and momting of 'thc gear 71w'vitl1'a corresponding. gear- 72 on .ront axle 36,37, 38"and of 'the' springs 39, 'shaft'73 and' the-latter has :i .bevel gear 74 '-120-'` aiykps' 41, knuckles 42,-wheels 43:" crown meshing with 4bevel gear 7:71am, on the. wheelftdnd 45,'clutches'46.'niirl.allied-countershat 35. Whichever vone of the parts; j being thef .same as previously de- "'-gears 69'or" 71 is coupled't'o'the 'shaft 67 scribd",` 'speci referencethereto is unnecs 4 cleterniines'-the direction in which 'the'shaftssary'if. 1 35 and .58 ialr'e'driven by the engine to move .125

Th" si?? ins ead o f beingdirectly -the truck forwardly, or, backwardly.' Int` o th 1e .chassis 1, are carried by a termeshing pinions 35"fast on shafts 85 and cmjggedjjsgeengggpgte, .qr f i fthwhee1 4f 5s @use these shafts romceetogether. A' 

